Infant dies from blunt force trauma, Milwaukee man arrested
MILWAUKEE - A 2-month-old child was killed on Monday, April 26 near 29th Street and St. Paul Avenue; a 20-year-old Milwaukee man is behind bars in connection with the infant's death. Milwaukee police have ruled this a homicide.
As of Wednesday night, April 28, the man arrested in connection with this case had not been charged -- but is expected to be in the coming days. Meantime, local advocates who work day and night to prevent violence against children are speaking out.
"I'm terribly concerned about the level of violence," said Carmen Pitre, president & CEO of Sojourner Family Peace Center.
Around 2:30 a.m. Monday, Milwaukee police responded to a home near 29th Street and St. Paul Avenue, where an unresponsive baby boy was found and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the 2-month-old's death a homicide from blunt force trauma.
"It has concerned us throughout COVID that violence continues to go up and we've not really seen a break in that," said Pitre.
Pitre said help is available for struggling parents.
"Kids are vulnerable, and they need us to protect them and they need us as adults to show up in the best way possible as healthy adults," said Pitre.
Kids Matter Inc. CASA Program
Child advocate Lance Jones with Kids Matter Inc. said financial and emotional stress can fuel a rise in cases of child abuse. For 15 years, he's worked with the CASA program -- or Court-Appointed Special Advocates for Children -- and said at least one in seven kids have experienced abuse or neglect in the last year.
"One of the key things to look for is an explanation for an injury that doesn’t make sense," said Jones.
Jones said it's crucial that as a community, all of us speak up when something doesn't seem right.
Kids Matter Inc. CASA Program
"It's the eyes and ears of all of us that make the protection of the most vulnerable of us possible," said Jones. "Whatever an individual’s role is -- he, she or they can make this a safer community for our children, and isn't that what all of us want?"
April is National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month. Milwaukee County has a hotline specifically for the reporting of child abuse. It can be reached at 414-220-SAFE.
Additional resources can be found by calling Impact 211.
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